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Schuman recognized in Progressive Farmer

Editor's Note: Dr. Stanley Schuman has been named the 2001 Man of the Year in South Carolina Agriculture by Progressive Farmer magazine. Below is the article on Dr. Schuman printed in the February issue of Progressive Farmer.  It is reprinted with permission.

A nationally recognized expert and a true pioneer in the field of agricultural medicine, Stanley Schuman, M.D., has had a distinguished career as a professor of family medicine and epidemiology at MUSC.

His many contributions were highlighted this past November when he received the Order of the Palmetto, the state's highest civilian honor. Dr. Gene Cornett, president of the South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association, nominated Schuman for the honor, citing his work as a physician, teacher, educator and humanitarian.

In 1984, Schuman led the initiative to develop and implement the South Carolina Agromedicine Program. This program is a cooperative venture between Clemson University and MUSC and was the first of its kind in the United States.

Since then, this concept has expanded, and agromedicine has become recognized nationally as a special field of medicine.

Schuman is credited with laying the foundation for other states to establish agromedicine programs based on the model he developed in South Carolina.

In 1986, he organized the Southern Agromedicine Consortium. In developing this consortium, Schuman’s goal was to bring together the faculty from land-grant colleges and medical schools to address some of the unique medical problems farmers, farm workers and others in agriculture face. 

In 1995, this regional group became a national organization now known as the Agromedical Consortium.

Schuman made a major improvement in the South Carolina Agromedicine Program in 1991 when he sought out grassroots farm and medical constituents and created a statewide network of consulting physicians. These doctors serve their communities as vital sources of information on ag-related health problems. For instance, the network works closely with Clemson Extension personnel, farm families and community organizations.

Schuman is widely recognized as an author. He is the founder and editor of the Journal of Agromedicine.

He often writes articles for the newsletter published by the South Carolina Agromedicine Program. This publication addresses ag-related health topics such as insect stings, acute pesticide poisoning, long-term pesticide exposure, food safety, hearing loss among farmers, carbon dioxide poisoning from tractor exhaust and respiratory illness among poultry-house farm workers. A number of the articles are based on real-life case histories.

In addition, Schuman is the co-author of two books—“Agromedicine: The Rural Practitioner’s Guide to Agromedicine” and “A User's Guide to Agromedicine: The South Carolina Model.”

Schuman has also taken a personal interest in ag-related medical research and in providing agromedicine training for new physicians.

Dr. Stanley Schuman has made great contributions to the field of agromedicine, and his program in South Carolina stands out among the best in the nation.